Ten riders came galloping back. One of the grey-cloaked Guild agents reined his horse to a skidding halt beside the lead carriage. "Agent Kaelus!" he reported breathlessly.
"The Seven-Mile Gorge is a trap! The cliff faces on both sides have been hollowed out. A single push from the inside would bring them crashing down. We found no one on the cliffs themselves, but we returned immediately to report."
A trap. The words sent a cold spike of fear through Commander Favian and Agent Kaelus. Thank the gods for Master Jiang's vigilance.
"Lock the carriages!" Favian roared.
At his command, a whistling arrow shot into the air, its piercing shriek echoing over the convoy.
From his perch on the carriage footboard, Elias saw the arrow streak overhead. The grey-cloaked Guild guard assigned to his carriage leaped into action. He ordered the driver off, then shoved Elias back. "Get inside and stay down."
Elias had no choice but to comply. The guard then pulled a handle on the roof of the carriage. With a deafening CLANG, a heavy iron grille slammed down, sealing the doorway. At the same time, similar grilles dropped over the windows.
The guard produced a key, inserted it into a lock above the door, and turned it twice. A series of heavy bolts shot out, locking the grille in place. The carriage had become a cage.
"What is the meaning of this?" someone inside shouted.
The guard ignored them. He pocketed the key, ordered the driver back onto his seat, and resumed his post.
Elias grabbed the bars and shook them. Solid iron. He realized the entire carriage was a cleverly designed trap, its walls lined with retractable grilles. Not just his carriage—he could see the same thing happening up and down the line, hear the same panicked shouts.
The aspirants were prisoners, and they had no idea why.
In the lead carriage, Master Jiang returned, his face grim. He had seen the cages. He looked at Favian and Kaelus, whose faces were unnervingly calm, and understood. They had known about this. This was planned.
The Guild had already reached an agreement with Lord Lucius. In the event of an attack, the aspirants were to be locked in. All of them. Better they die in their cages than have a single head taken for the Twilight Queen's bounty.
"Commander," Jiang demanded, "what is the meaning of this?"
"It is a precaution, Master Jiang," Favian replied calmly. "To take a head from this escort by force would be difficult. Trickery is the more likely threat. These cages are the best protection."
"Protection?" Jiang's voice was dangerously low. "You've trapped them! If we are overrun, they will have no chance to flee. They will be slaughtered in their seats!"
"And if we cannot protect them," Agent Kaelus interjected smoothly, "do you truly believe they could escape on their own? These cages serve a dual purpose.
They protect the aspirants, and in the worst-case scenario, they prevent the enemy from claiming their prize. If the beasts cannot collect their heads, they cannot retreat. And that," he finished, his eyes cold, "is when we will unleash hell upon them."
Jiang stared at them, horrified. The aspirants weren't just being protected. They were being used as bait.
This decision had come from the highest levels.
"Your counsel," Favian said, breaking the silence. "What is our next move?"
"We occupy the cliffs and push through the gorge," Kaelus said without hesitation.
Favian looked to the old archer. "Master Jiang?"
Jiang shook his head. "We turn back. Now. Rear guard becomes vanguard. We retreat from this fog as fast as we can."
"Retreat?" Kaelus scoffed. "With a hundred Guild agents, fifty Legendary Archers, and a thousand soldiers, we are to run from a pack of beasts? The Guild does not have the luxury of losing face, Master Jiang!"
"This isn't about face, boy, it's about survival!" the old master snapped. "You think a hundred of your agents can secure a seven-mile gorge? With this fog as cover, the enemy can strike from anywhere.
They collapse the cliffs at one point, and our entire column is trapped. They are not afraid of your Guild; they came here knowing you would be present."
He stabbed a finger at the map. "This fog is our real enemy. It negates the advantage of my archers. Why didn't they use it at the inn last night? Because they couldn't.
A fog of this magnitude must be prepared in advance. If we can retreat out of its range, we strip them of their greatest weapon. They will lose their chance to strike. And then," he finished, his voice grim, "I fear they will not let us retreat so easily."
Favian had heard enough. The Guild's pride be damned. "Do as he says," he commanded. "Rear becomes van! Full retreat! Now!"
Kaelus remained silent, his jaw tight.
The order was given. The massive column began the slow, clumsy process of turning around. A wave of fear and confusion spread through the caged aspirants.
Elias rattled the bars again. Trapped. If the beasts attacked, he would be a sitting duck. He, the Master of the Crystal Spire, slaughtered in a cage like an animal? Unacceptable. His eyes darted to the guard's belt. The key. It was right there. But to act now would be suicide. He had to wait.
"They're turning back," The Rat Hag rasped from the treetop.
"The flags have changed," Corvus confirmed, peering through the thickening mist. "They're retreating."
The beast lords all looked at Black Cloud. They now understood. The fog, their greatest weapon, had also been their undoing. It had tipped their hand.
Black Cloud's face was a mask of cold fury. "Send word," he snarled to a subordinate below. "Block their path. Front and rear."
"You would still force a fight?" Roric Marsh hissed.
"They think they can escape?" Black Cloud laughed, a low, menacing sound. "They've walked into my swamp. They're not getting out."